Home improvement: 7 affordable pools for small spaces

If you've got a small garden or patio, you might think that the addition of a pool is ill-advised. Well, we're here to prove the opposite to you…

First there were regular houses, then we were treated to prefabricated ones. Now design evolution is presenting to us: prefabricated pools! And yes, they are basically the same as prefab homes.

Prefabricated pools are manufactured and constructed away from your house, meaning it’s a basic matter of picking the design you want, and then having it installed in your desired location. As they are not being physically built in your back yard (or wherever you want to place a pool), it means you cut down on both installation time and –costs.

So, with summer already winking at us here in South Africa, let’s dive further into this cool new world of prefab pools!

1. So much fun, so little work

When planning on getting a swimming pool, a lot of people look past the maintenance part and just focus on those forthcoming pool parties. Well, even your prefab pool needs a little dedication, although this is much less than what a regular pool would require from you.

Since the pool is made from fibreglass and not a porous surface, this means that chemicals in your water will last longer, leading to lower maintenance costs. What’s more, fibreglass shells also retain heat longer than other pool surfaces.

2. Quick installation time

Since the prefab pools are manufactured in a factory off site, this eliminates additional construction time on your premise severely. Yes, this means a much quicker installation on your property (a few days at the most), meaning you can get your Olympic dive on much quicker!

From painters to plumbers, we have them all here on homify, and much more. Check out our professionals page.

3. Stylish and sturdy

The prefab pool’s fibreglass material makes it ideal for withstanding extremely active soil conditions, like turf and clay. As a result of the planned flexible nature of the shell, it is far less likely to crack or deform.

In addition, no algae will form on those walls (as it is not a porous surface), meaning much less cleaning for you to do!

4. Dress it up

Formal hedging

Although prefab pools have a selection of designs to choose from, you can still dress them up with additional décor and touches to swim in the pool of your dreams.

Take a look at this fabulous example above: a pool surrounded by warm timber panels, a crisp white pergola, and lush shrubs, resulting in a spa-like space to practice your laps. And that view of Table Mountain in the background certainly doesn’t hurt either!

5. An elegant look

With a gel-coat finish added to the pool’s inner surface, it ensures a seamlessly clean-cut look and feel. So don’t be concerned about picking a pool that looks like it was put together at the last minute – your pool party will look simply smashing, promise!

7. Designs to pick from

In our opinion, a prefab pool comes with a bunch of benefits that can give any regular concrete pool strong competition. However, if there is one thing that makes people pause at the thought of acquiring a prefab pool, it is the fact that they are limited in their choice of designs.

In terms of shapes, sizes, lengths and so forth, there are only so many options to choose from. However, once you pick the one that will best suit your needs (and space), and add some beautiful touches, you can still enjoy an awesome pool party and a fantastic summer!